Book.



ROBERT E. SMITH, 0F SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOOK.

Application filed October 1. 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Somervillc, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Books, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a system of paging books, and provides a paged book in which the page number also indicates the section or chapter and thus facilitates ready reference.

Generally stated instead of numbering the pages of the entire book serially beginning with 1, T divide the pages of the book into a number of sections or groups according to subject-matter, each group having a characteristic number. The pages of each section are serially numbered from 1 up, the serial number together with the characteristic section number being combined in a special way to give an easily expressed page and section designation.

Consequently in case of revision of only a certain section or sections of the book the general paging of the book is disturbed in only that section. The system is thus of peculiar value in the case of text books and similar works subject to frequent partial revision. It is also of utility in the case of loose leaf books of printed notes or text, various parts of which are subject to extension or continuation simultaneously.

I illustrate the invention as applied to a text book in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective of an open book showing my system of paging applied thereto, and

Fig. 2 indicates the arrangement of an alphabetic index for use with such paging.

The book is provided with covers a and leaves 5. These leaves 6 bear page designations 0 in the usual positions as illustrated.

Assuming that the individual sections of the book will have not to exceed 99 pages, two digits will provide for the serial numbering of the pages in any section. In this case two digits will always be used, the numbers below 10 being written 01, 02, 03, etc. The purpose of this is to give a characteristic position to the digits representing the section number, thus causing a correct numerical sequence of the numbers in any section.

The section numbers are expressed by one Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24t, 191?. Serial Ito. 53,553.

or more digits placed directly to the left of the two digits j ust mentioned, the two sets of digits forming a single number. For convenience in reading I prefer to distinguish the section digits by printing them in different type, such as heavy faced type. The paging in section 1 would then be 101, L102, 103, and so on up to any number not excecding 199. Similarly the paging in section 12 would begin with 1201. By assigning sections to corresponding main subjects or chapters, any one may be revised without disturbing the others.

The ditference in type is an assistance in reading: for example, 32.11 is read one eleven; 1249 is read twelve forty nine, etc.

lVith a book so dex may be used, dicated in Fig. 2.

paged an alphabetical inand would appear as in- Tt has the advantage of indicating at a glance the section number as well as the page number.

It may be observed that in the example just described the units and tens places give the serial number of the page in any section, while the hundreds place, and places to the left thereof, express section numbers.

In case no section would exceed nine pages the section number could appear in the tens place, the unit place or digit being alone used for page serial number. Similarly if one or more sections would require over 99 and not over 999 pages, the units, tens, and hundreds digits can be used to express serial page numbering and the thousands place and those to the left thereof be used to express section numbers.

In any case I find it desirable to use different type for the section number digits and the serial number digits to indicate at a glance the meaning of the numbering, the two sets of digits being united in a single page number or designation, and hence not otherwise readily distinguishable. Other equivalent means of distinguishing the two sets of digits forming a single number will readily suggest themselves, all. that is necessary being ready identification of the two.

In some cases it is unnecessary to distinguish the two kinds of digits in which case a single kind of type is used without any distinguishing mark. This gives charac teristic freedom from repaging where only a part of the book is revised, and is satisfactory where the number of the sections has no particular significance.

With a book paged in this way an alphabetically arranged subject-matter index can conveniently be used, the page numbers giving at a glance the section number as well. In many classes of books, particularly text books, this is of great convenience because it 1s possible to identify the section of the book dealing with the subject matter in general as well as the particular page referred to, the former information being often as important as the latter to the person searching the index.

I have described my invention as applied to the paging of books'for the reason that that is a. field in which it gives striking advantages. I do not, however, confine myself thereto, as it is obviously applicable to gen eral indexing work, familiar examples of which are loose leaf systems, card systems and the like.

Having thus described my what I claim is 1'. A book or the like, comprising a plurality of pages grouped in sections, each page bearing a characteristic number designation consisting of an Arabic digit or digits expressing the number of the section, immediately followed by a constant number of Arabic digits expressing the number of said page in such section, the two sets of digits forming a single number indicative of theposition of such page as related to the whole number of pages constituting the book. I

2. A book or the like, comprising a plurality of pages grouped in sections, each page bearing a characteristic number designation consisting of an Arabic digit or digits invention,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for expressing the number of the section, immediately followed by a constant number of readily distinguishable Arabic digits expressing the number of said page in such section, the two sets of digits forming a single number indicative of the position of such page as related to the whole number of pages forming the book.

3. A book or the like, comprising a plurality of pages grouped in sections, each page bearing a characteristic number designation consisting of an Arabicdigit or digits expressing'the number of the section, immediately followed by constant number of Arabic digits expressing thenumber'of said page in such section, the two setsof digits forming a single number indicative of the position of such page as related to the whole number of pages constituting the book, and the digits of the two sets being of readily distinguishable face.

4L. The combination of a plurality of pages grouped in serially numbered sections, each page bearing a number'designation consisting of an Arabic digit or digits expressing the section number, followed by a constant number of Arabic digits expressing the serial number of such page in that section, the section number digits being of a face readilydistinguishable from the serial number digits; and an alphabetic index referring to said pages by said number designations, the section number digits in said index being likewise distinguishable from the serial number digits.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ROBERT SMITH.

five cents each, byaddress in'g" the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington; D: G." 

